Unbelievable! It’s a hoax! Lies!…
These are the expected remarks when you cross paths with such information.
Hotels for 1Ghc? Incredible, isn’t it? Now let me explain. Averagely, a 2-4 star hotel in Ghana has rates lurking around 400 to 500 Ghc a night. In very rare cases and depending on the location and season, some hotels may increase their rates. However, take this into consideration. Typically during festivals and other special seasons, most hotels and online travel agents come up with mouthwatering packages that attract guests. For example, a 500Ghc per night room at Hotel XXX may come with a package which includes airport pick ups (about 50Ghc), free meals (about 150Ghc) , free body massage (about 150Ghc) and Other giveaways (about 149Ghc). Total this and you will have 499 Ghc. Hence, you just got a 500Ghc per night room for an exclusive 1Ghc. Yes 1Ghc! Jumia Travel, Africa’s leading online travel agents looks at some ways to get amazingly low rates this Easter.
The Early Bird – If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So says the old adage. The best way to have a memorable and safe but affordable Easter trip is to plan many many months or weeks ahead. Go online, compare rates, rooms and facilities. Book in advance to secure your stay. This helps you prevent travelling all the way to destination only to find out that you have been outpriced. For the best available prices, you need to book very very early because when the atmosphere reaches fever-pitch and the excitement is high during the Easter period, hotels and guesthouses are always in high demand. Prices will definately be escalated. Just imagine you haven’t planned well and you go to Kwahu during easter. After all the fun and ‘’chilling’’ when you need a place to rest for a few minutes, that is when you will realize 100 is not the same as 1000. You will even have lots of money to spend yet not get availability. That is how scarce accommodation is during Easter all around the country especially on the coast and mountains.
Book online – Another advantage about online hotel booking is that you can get access to amazing discounts and offers. Get 50% OFF with code ABCD, Book two nights get one night free and many more deals are always available online. Rather than travel to these hotels to make enquiries and compare their facilities which comes at extra costs, you can save a lot by just going online to view rooms, compare rates and facilities and have access to great discounts. During such a period when costs trickle in thick and fast, you would want to cut down some costs such as accommodation to the bearest minimum. Just by a few clicks, you have your entire easter stay booked for very cheap. Why the stress? Go online now!
Packages – Sometimes, you just see an amazing package and wonder if it’s for real or just an internet scam. Better believe it! There are so many wonderful packages lined up during such festivities. Get a 2 nights stay + full body massage + free dinner for two + a bottle of Champagne and boat cruise for just XXX Ghc. I other news, you checked the rate for that same hotel a few weeks earlier and it was for the same XXX Ghc without all the ‘’goodies’’. Yes! This is the power of online travel agents and the advantage of festivals like Easter. You get more by paying less for it. Consider you had to pay for all the ‘’goodies’’ that come in that package. You might probably get discouraged and cancel that trip already. With packages, you get to live that life long travel dream by paying lesser than usual. Go for it!
Simple is smart – On the coast of Keta, On the hills of Shai, on the streets of Bantema and on the mountains at Kwahu. Anywhere you go in Ghana around Easter is just filled with merry making and lots of fun. This is in many ways contrary to the purpose of Easter. However, businesses such as hotels and booking websites will not care. In fact this is a bumper harvest season for them. For you the guest, there is one important thing that helps you save. Simple is indeed smart. Why book a room that accommodates 2 people when you are the only one travelling? Why book for a room with breakfast when you don’t need it? Why book a luxurious and expensive room far away from your place of interest when you can get affordable guesthouses very close by for less? Being simple is the best. Go for what you need taking into account distance, time and the main necessities. If you don’t need it, don’t book for it. Save the cash and have fun with it.
‘’United we fund’’ – The feeling of traveling together, as a group with people you love so much and can’t get enough of. Having some good easter time away from home with family and friends. It’s even better when you can split the bill and pay together. This means you can get more out of your stay. Group bookings almost always comes with price reduction.You can get a 3 rooms for the price of two or even get one room and share with someone. After all, how many hours of sleep are you even getting? You may probably only need a place to relax and fresh en up. As a group, you are assured of getting all of this at a shared cost. We pay together and have fun together! Money saved!
Just so you know, there is nowhere in the world that you get a hotel or anything close to a hotel for 1Ghc. However, there are ways to get great value for far less that it feels like paying 1Ghc for it. Make the most of special deals, discounts, packages and have an amazing easter.
Credit : Bennet Otoo, Jumia Travel